Guard for railway-frogs



I T. w. MAYO. GUARD FOR RAILWAY FHOGS. APPLICATION m-Eo JAN. 9. m9.

1,303,938. I Patented May 20, 1919.

THOMAS W. MAYO, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

GUARD non. RAILWAY-FROGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application filed January 9, 1919. Serial No. 270,346.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. MAYO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Railway-Fr0gs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference to railway track construction and more especially to an improved guard block for switch frogs as used where the rails of one track cross the rails of another track.

The invention comprehends an improved guard block adapted to be bolted in the heel of a railway switch frog to replace the usual side guard rails as at present generally used, so as to safely guide the wheels of the cars over the crossing and obviate derailments I due to the side guard rails giving away or spreading, thereby eliminating crossing accidents or possibility of a car leaving a track with resultant difiiculties.

A further and important object is to provide an improved guard block of novel form, which will insure the effective and proper engagement of the wheel flanges with the rails, and particularly at the crossing points or when the wheels are passing over the frog as well as to provide a more eflicient and economical crossing construction.

With the above objects and others in view,

as will appear as this specification proceeds,

the invention comprises certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter set forth in detail and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and wherein like reference characters represent corresponding parts throughout the several views in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway frog showing my improved guard in position therein. f

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guard removed from the frog.

It is Well known that a majority of cross ing accidents are due to derailment of a car, where side guard rails are employed, caused by the turnmg over or spreading of the rails or guard rails and thus the inability of the same to guide the wheels or cause proper engagement of the flanges thereof with the rails when crossing the frog. This is in part due to the fact that the guard rails are merely spiked to the ties, and readily give, spread or turn over from excessive lateral strain or pressure when a car is making a crossing or running with a switch.

It is therefore my object to overcome these difliculties and to provide in all respects a cheaper, safer and better crossing construction and especially a frog guard block, which, Will convey the wheels and car safely over the frog. This is in part caused by the fact that the device is bolted to the rails and is therefore held solidly and permanently in place instead of merely being spiked to the-ties independently of the track rails, in addition to the novel shape and construction of the guard block itself.

By way of illustration, there is shown in the accompanying drawings, the main rails 10 of a track bed, and branch rails 11 while 12 represents the switchfrog of the railway, in connection with the latter of which my invention is particularly adapted for use.

The guard is in the form of a plate 13 which is triangular or frusto-pyramidal in plan and disposed within the triangular space of the frog, said plate being formed with a plurality of horizontal transverse and preferably parallel openings 14 near its bottom face, for the reception of bolts 15 by means of which the plate is secured tov the webs of the rails 10 and 11. The upper portion or half thickness of the plate is reduced in transverse dimension to provide the longitudinally extending triangular boss 16, the point of which is disposed a. suitable dis tance inwardly of the point ofthe body of the plate, and the sides spaced inwardly from the edges of the plate to provide the shoulders or ledges 17 converging to the heel of the frog. The rear or base angles of the triangular boss are cutoff obliquely, as at wise. The faces 18 will guide the flanges against the rails, while the ledges or shoulders 17 will retain the wheels from displacerails and causing their deflection from the frog and consequent derailment, the flanges of the inner Wheels are drawn toward the inside rails and caused to properly travel over the frog, thereby obviating the diffs culties mentioned.

WVhat is claimed is l. A guard for a railway frog consisting of a plate including a frusto-triangular body adapted. to be secured within the frog and a boss upon the upper face of the body having vertical side walls that are spaced inwardly from and are respectively parallel to the side walls of the body portion and intersect adj acent the minor end of the body portion, the boss having its base angles cut away with resultant other side walls that converge op Copies of this patent may be obtained for positely with respect to the first named side walls.

2'. The combination with track rails cross- I edges of the bottomportion to provide side ledges converging to the heel of the frog and spaced substantially uniformly from. the

rails at either side thereof, the said sides being beveled at the base of the upper; portion and converging toward each otherin an opposite direction from the direction of convergence of the sides aforesaid to guide the car Wheels and flanges thereof toward the inside rails of the tracks when crossing, as

and for the purposes specified, andmeans to secure the guard block through. the lower portion to thefrog rails outwardly thereof.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS w. MAYO.

Witnesses CHAUNGEY R. FRAKER, JOHN W. COTTER.

Washington, I). 0. 

